248 EXTRACTS FROM 



During the whole of this wild and somewhat irregular 

 hunt I had not got a single shot ; and it was not until half 

 an hour had gone by, and most of the guns had left their 

 posts and were trying to get up to the dogs which were now 

 running a wolf, that I discovered a cross road which led right 

 through the field. Along this I hastened, until I got to a 

 place where an irrigation-ditch ran into the interior of the 

 plantation, and made a narrow lane only a yard wide, down 

 which I could shoot. There I stationed myself, and waited 

 for the dogs to bring up the wolf ; but this they did slowly, 

 for it was badly wounded, and often stood at bay, and when 

 it at last crossed my line I could not fire, on account of 

 their surrounding it. On the other side of the ditch the 

 fight now began again, and I heard the snarls of the wolf 

 mingled with the sharp barks of the dachshunds, but in a few 

 minutes they ceased their pursuit and all was quiet. Dachs- 

 hunds hunt wolves unwillingly, and one can neither count 

 upon their following up a wounded one long, nor on their 

 giving tongue at all at a dead one ; so that the wolf which is 

 not killed outright is generally lost. 



A few minutes later the barking of other dogs from the 

 opposite corner of the field announced the commencement of 

 a fresh hunt, and again the chase came straight towards me 

 through the canes ; but, as before, it advanced very slowly, 

 and it was evident that the dogs were busy with another 

 wounded wolf. They were baying furiously not more than a 

 hundred yards off, and I was attentively listening to the fight, 

 when I heard a slight rustling close beside me, and imme- 

 diately caught sight of an unwounded wolf stealing across 

 the narrow path. I instantly fired, and hearing the glad 

 sound of its fall I hurried up to the spot, and found it snarling 

 and dragging itself away, half lying, half sitting, for its back 

 was broken. Attracted by the shot, some of the dogs now 

 came up, and a savage battle began, which I put an end to by 



